William "Wild Bill" H. Anderson, Jr.

William H Anderson Jr., otherwise known the world over by "Wild Bill", passed away on January 25, 2024, with his daughters by his side. He went home to heaven to join his beloved wife Beverly, where they are reunited.  

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, April 28, 2024, at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in Knoxville from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

Bill was born June 9, 1937, to Howard and Emma (Hewitt) Anderson in Knoxville.  He attended Knoxville High School where he met the love of his life, Beverly Hartshorn. On July 1, 1956, Bill and Beverly were married at the First Christian Church in Knoxville. To this union three children were born William “Billy” H (Diana) Anderson III, Brenda (Mike) Ross and Nancy (Todd) Hammann.

Bill started his career with the phone company along with his brother-in-law Dave Storm, living in many states, including California, Florida, and Pennsylvania. Bill & Bev returned to Knoxville in 1969 when the kids started school.

Upon retirement at the former Contel phone company at 59 ½ he started a new business that he continued for over 20 years, Wild Bill’s RC Hobbies.  This business brought so many more people into his family circle. Some of these he referred to as his “boys”.

He had a lifelong love of any racing…. slot cars, Go-carts, RC cars and Sprint cars.  He took great pride in telling people he attended the first race and the first Nationals at Knoxville Raceway.  This brought a new group of people into his life every year during the Knoxville Nationals. They came from Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Pennsylvania and even Australia once! It all started with Keith Bloomquist whom we found in the alley one night after the races….Keith and many others have been one of his kids ever since.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife Beverly, mother and father Howard & Emma, mother-in-law Virginia Anderson, father-in-law Harold Hartshorn, brother-in-law David Storm, sister-in-law LuAnn Nichols.

Bill is survived by his three children William “Billy” H (Diana) Anderson III of Pleasantville, Brenda (Mike) Ross of Oskaloosa, and Nancy (Todd) Hammann of Knoxville, four grandchildren Nick (Amanda) Ross, Heather (Mickey) Lansink, Kyle (Abbi) Hammann and Jenni Hammann, eight great-grandchildren, Emme, Ally and Cole Ross, Briley and Bristol Whelan and Harper, Briggs, and Kennedy Hammann.  He enjoyed and loved every minute spent with his Great Grandchildren. He is also survived by a sister-in-law Connie Storm and many nieces and nephews.

Wild Bill will be forever loved and deeply missed by us all.

Please feel free to get up and share your stories of Wild Bill…. We know you all have one, and we all need to hear them!!

Memorials may be given in his memory to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.